Sorry for the blatant self-promotion, but I am quite excited! After a number of rejection letters, I got a literary agent at the beginning of the year who loved my book and has it currently on submission to publishers. However, they told me this week that they have also put it out on Amazon (in the Kindle store).
So just wondered if any of you lovely people fancied a cheap read (I would also love to get some feedback).
It’s a psychological tale of love, obsession, music and self-sufficiency set in north Derbyshire.http://www.amazon.co.uk/Black-is-the-Co ... 065&sr=1-1

I've just bought it but Amazon won't let me download it! OH says they might be doing an update and to wait. But I don't want to - a book about my old stamping grounds - I was at the first ever Stainsby Folk Festival (I assume that's it)!

I want to read it now.

Maggie

Never doubt that you can change history. You already have. Marge Piercy

Hope you got it downloaded, Maggie, fascinating to hear that you were at the first Stainsby - although it's not named there is a vague reference to it later in the story. Funnily enough, it's a festival I have been meaning to go to for years (it's about 15 minutes away from where I live) but never managed to get the weekend free. Perhaps this year...
Thanks so much for reading it, and I appreciate any feedback however critical.
Cheers x

When I bought it I had to spend 10 mins. responding to the emails they have been sending me telling me my credit card is out of date! Still that job is now done and I have successfully downloaded. good luck

On the issue of animals for research "The question is not, 'Can they reason?' nor, 'Can they talk?' but rather, 'Can they suffer?'" Jeremy Bentham

Sorry I should have replied earlier. Thank you Howie I really enjoyed this read. It really took me all over the place, at some times I felt like I wanted to give criticism that bit isn't right ) but most importantly I really really wanted to read it to the end to find out what the drama/ secret was about. Definitely a thumbs up from me. thank you.

On the issue of animals for research "The question is not, 'Can they reason?' nor, 'Can they talk?' but rather, 'Can they suffer?'" Jeremy Bentham

Thanks, Trinder, for your feedback and also for your review on Amazon. Glad you enjoyed it. Just out of interest: the bits you wanted to give criticism about - do you mean that there were 'factual' bits I got wrong? Just wanting to check so that I can amend if that's the case!

My "criticism " for what it's worth wasn't really criticism as much as I felt that Laurne's parents changed from in the first instance I thought her family was posh.. (violin lessons, her middle class style / Laurens approach to buying fancy magazines etc but when we finally met her parents, they are in a grotty car and cooing over Wetherspoons , she was a bit ashamed of them.
that was my only bit that didn't "flow"

I loved the bruising and the relationship with dumpy - the locked room ... Those parts gave me the reflective perspective that where I had been going in my head with "sinisterness " was exactly that "in my head" and anyone else could have taken a different construct. That was what made me read so quickly I really wanted to get to the bottom of it.

I had hoped that my review would help, using the word criticism instead of confusing was purposeful. I felt that anyone reading it would be made curious and decide to read it for themselves.

On the issue of animals for research "The question is not, 'Can they reason?' nor, 'Can they talk?' but rather, 'Can they suffer?'" Jeremy Bentham

It's really good to get your feedback and how you interpret the story - thanks for taking the time to respond. Sometimes things have to be revised and rewritten so many times that I can miss what may seem to be something obvious to someone reading it for the first time. I just wanted to check that I hadn't done anything really stupid and had pumpkins growing in March for example!!